Semiconductor package with elastic coupler and related methods

ABSTRACT

Implementations of semiconductor packages may include: a die coupled to a substrate; a housing coupled to the substrate and at least partially enclosing the die within a cavity of the housing, and; a pin fixedly coupled to the housing and electrically coupled with the die, wherein the pin includes a reversibly elastically deformable lower portion configured to compress to prevent a lower end of the pin from lowering beyond a predetermined point relative to the substrate when the housing is lowered to be coupled to the substrate.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of the earlier U.S.Utility Patent Application to Lin et al. entitled “Semiconductor PackageWith Elastic Coupler and Related Methods,” application Ser. No.15/630,112, filed Jun. 22, 2017, now pending, which was a continuationapplication of the U.S. Utility Patent Application to Lin et al.entitled “Semiconductor Package With Elastic Coupler and RelatedMethods,” application Ser. No. 15/230,076, filed Aug. 5, 2016, nowpending, which was a divisional application of the U.S. Utility PatentApplication to Lin et al. entitled “Semiconductor Package With ElasticCoupler and Related Methods,” application Ser. No. 14/626,758, filedFeb. 19, 2015, the disclosure of which are hereby incorporated entirelyherein by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

Aspects of this document relate generally to semiconductor devicepackages. Particular aspects of this document relate to powersemiconductor device packages, such as power integrated modules (PIMs).

2. Background

Semiconductor devices are often encased within (or partly within) apackage prior to use. Some packages contain a single die while otherscontain multiple die. The package offers protection to the die, such asfrom corrosion, impact and other damage, and often also includeselectrical leads or other components which connect the electricalcontacts of the die with a motherboard. The package may also includecomponents configured to dissipate heat from the die into a motherboard,a heat sink, or otherwise away from the package. Some semiconductorpower packages have included springs exterior to the package for contactwith external elements, and some of these may have includeddouble-spring designs.

SUMMARY

Implementations of semiconductor packages may include: a die coupled toa substrate; a housing coupled to the substrate and at least partiallyenclosing the die within a cavity of the housing, and; a pin fixedlycoupled to the housing and electrically coupled with the die, whereinthe pin includes a reversibly elastically deformable lower portionconfigured to compress to prevent a lower end of the pin from loweringbeyond a predetermined point relative to the substrate when the housingis lowered to be coupled to the substrate.

Implementations of semiconductor packages may include one, all, or anyof the following:

A base of the pin may be coupled to the substrate with a spring.

The pin may be fixedly coupled in a top of the housing and may beconfigured to be coupled with the substrate by lowering the housingtowards the substrate.

The pin may include two rigid portions coupled together only with aspring.

One of the rigid portions may include a flat plate.

The reversibly elastically deformable lower portion may include aspring.

The spring may include a coil spring.

Implementations of semiconductor packages may include: at least one diecoupled to a substrate; a housing coupled to the substrate and at leastpartially enclosing the at least one die within a cavity of the housing,and; a plurality of pins fixedly coupled in a top of the housing, eachof the plurality of pins electrically coupled with one of the at leastone die through a connection trace of the substrate, each of theplurality of pins including a spring, wherein the spring of each pinbiases an upper portion of the pin towards the housing.

Implementations of semiconductor packages may include one, all, or anyof the following:

The spring of each pin may be positioned between two rigid portions ofthe pin.

The spring of each pin may bias the two rigid portions of the pin awayfrom one another.

The spring of each pin may be compressed along a direction substantiallyparallel with a longest length of the pin.

The spring of each pin may be configured to prevent a contact surface ofthe pin from lowering beyond a predetermined point relative to thesubstrate when the housing is lowered towards the substrate.

The spring may include a helical spring.

Implementations of methods of forming a semiconductor package mayinclude: securing a pin to a housing, the pin including a spring;lowering the housing relative to a substrate having a semiconductor die(die) coupled thereon to at least partially enclose the die within acavity of the housing, and; while lowering the housing, compressing thespring so that a lower end of the pin does not lower beyond apredetermined point relative to the substrate and so that an upperportion of the pin is biased towards the housing, wherein lowering thehousing includes electrically coupling the pin with the die.

Implementations of methods of forming a semiconductor package mayinclude one, all, or any of the following:

The housing may be secured to the substrate.

Securing the housing to the substrate may include maintainingcompression of the spring.

The lower end of the pin may be included in a flat plate of the pin and,prior to lowering the housing, the flat plate may be coupled to theupper portion of the pin through only the spring.

Compressing the spring may include compressing the spring between tworigid portions of the pin.

Compressing the spring may include biasing the two rigid portions of thepin away from one another.

Compressing the spring may include compressing the spring along adirection substantially parallel with a longest length of the pin.

The foregoing and other aspects, features, and advantages will beapparent to those artisans of ordinary skill in the art from theDESCRIPTION and DRAWINGS, and from the CLAIMS.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Implementations will hereinafter be described in conjunction with theappended drawings, where like designations denote like elements, and:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an implementation of a semiconductorpackage;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another implementation of asemiconductor package;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the semiconductor package of FIG. 4 inan open configuration;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the semiconductor package of FIG. 1taken along line A-A;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of the semiconductor package of FIG. 6 inan open configuration;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the semiconductor package of FIG. 2taken along line B-B;

FIG. 7 is a top view of a plurality of substrates, a baseplate, andother elements of a semiconductor package;

FIG. 8 is a top view of a plurality of substrates, a baseplate, andother elements of a semiconductor package; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another implementation of asemiconductor package.

DESCRIPTION

This disclosure, its aspects and implementations, are not limited to thespecific components, assembly procedures or method elements disclosedherein. Many additional components, assembly procedures and/or methodelements known in the art consistent with the intended semiconductorpackages with elastic couplers and related methods will become apparentfor use with particular implementations from this disclosure.Accordingly, for example, although particular implementations aredisclosed, such implementations and implementing components may compriseany shape, size, style, type, model, version, measurement,concentration, material, quantity, method element, step, and/or the likeas is known in the art for such semiconductor packages with elasticcouplers and related methods, and implementing components and methods,consistent with the intended operation and methods.

“Top side” and “bottom side” are terms used in the industry to refer tosides of semiconductor die and sometimes relate to the nature of theelectrical contacts on the side being referenced. A side having one ormore electrical contacts not intending to be only used as a ground issometimes called a “top side.” A side having only electrical contactswhich are intended to be used as an electrical ground is sometimescalled a “bottom side.” Nevertheless, for ease of explanation, as usedherein the term “bottom side” in this document refers to the side of adie that is facing towards a bottom of a drawing page, while the term“top side” when used herein refers to the side of a die that is facingtowards a top of a drawing page.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, as illustrated, a semiconductorpackage (package) 2 includes one or more die 4 coupled to a substrate 6.A housing 24 has one or more pins 38 fixedly coupled thereto and atleast one of the pins is electrically coupled to one of the die 4. Thepackage 2 in implementations is a power semiconductor device such as, bynon-limiting example, a power integrated module (PIM), an integratedpower module (IPM) or intelligent power module, and the like, and mayinclude one or more power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effecttransistors (power MOSFETs), insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs),and the like. The package 2 may be used, for example, for powerapplications in the auto industry, in industrial machines, in powergeneration, in household appliances, and so forth.

Although the package examples shown in the drawings are powersemiconductor devices, in other applications similar pins and otherpackaging elements and methods disclosed herein may be used for packageswhich are not power semiconductor packages. In implementations in whichthe package 2 is a power semiconductor device the package 2 may include,by non-limiting example, one or more insulated gate bipolar transistor(IGBT) die electrically coupled, such as through a wirebond, clip or thelike, with one or more diode rectifier die. By non-limiting example,referring to the package of FIG. 3, one of the die shown may be an IGBTwhile the other may be a diode rectifier.

Substrate 6 in implementations is a power electronic substrate and mayinclude, by non-limiting example, a direct bonded copper (DBC)substrate, an active metal brazed (AMB) substrate, an insulated metalsubstrate (IMS), a ceramic substrate, and the like. Other types ofsubstrates could be used. In implementations in which a DBC substrate isused the DBC substrate may have a copper layer only on one side of theDBC substrate (a side that includes connection traces) or, in otherimplementations, it may include a first copper layer on a first side ofa ceramic layer and a second copper layer on a second side of theceramic layer so that the ceramic layer is sandwiched between two copperlayers. Substrate 6, for example, is a direct bonded copper (DBC)substrate 8 having a ceramic layer 10 sandwiched between a first copperlayer 12 and second copper layer 18, and the first copper layer 12includes connection traces 14. Other metallic and/or non-metallic layersmay be included on the first and/or second copper layers 12, 18 invarious implementations.

In some implementations one or more DBC substrates each having twocopper layers, and each having connection traces in each copper layer,could be used. For example, although the implementation in FIG. 3 useselectrical couplers 20 that are wirebonds 22 to electrically coupleelectrical contacts of the die 4 with the connection traces 14, in otherimplementations the wirebonds 22 could be excluded and instead a secondDBC substrate having connection traces on both sides (each in a copperlayer) could be coupled to the die 4, the connection traces in a bottomside of the second DBC electrically coupling to the electrical contactson a top side of the die 4 (“top side” meaning facing a top of the pagein the drawings). A second layer of die 4 may then be placed atop theconnection traces on the upper side of the second DBC substrate, andthen further connections may be made with electrical contacts on a topside of the second layer of die 4, such as using electrical couplers 20,which may be wirebonds 22, conductive clips, or the like, and thenfurther packaging may be done to achieve a structure similar tostructures shown in the drawings but having a stacked configuration withmultiple layers of die 4. Other stacking mechanisms and methods may beused, and those given here are just representative examples. In someimplementations one or more or all of the die 4 could be coupled withthe connection traces 14 using a flip-chip process using die bumps sothat no wirebonds or conductive clips are needed.

The connection traces 14 route and electrically couple electricalcontacts on the die 4 with other elements, such as the pins, other die4, power sources, electrical grounds, other devices within or withoutthe package 2, and the like. By non-limiting example, the connectiontraces to which the bottom side of each die 4 is coupled (“bottom side”referring to the sides of the die 4 facing a bottom of the page in thedrawings) may connect conductive pads on the bottom sides of those diewith electrical ground, while the electrical couplers 20 (such aswirebonds 22 or conductive clips) which are electrically coupled to pins38 through other connection traces 14 may couple electrical contacts onthe top sides of the die 4 with power sources. These are justrepresentative examples, and one or more electrical contacts on the topsides of die may be coupled to electrical ground through the pins.Naturally, in cases in which flip chip packaging is used, one or moreconnection traces 14 may be used to couple one or more electricalcontacts on the bottom side of the die 4 with electrical ground and oneor more other connection traces 14 may be used to couple one or moreother electrical contacts on the bottom side of the die 4 with one ormore power sources through the pins, one or more other die 4, one ormore other electrical devices within or without the package 2, and soforth.

Referring still to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the housing 24 in implementationsis formed of a polymer, such as a thermoset, thermosoftening(thermopolymer), or other type of polymer or plastic—though inimplementations it could also be formed of a composite material. Elasticcouplers 36 are formed of an electrically conductive material, such as ametal, and are used to electrically and/or mechanically couple one ormore electrical contacts of the die 4 with items outside the package 2,such as with a motherboard or printed circuit board (PCB), a powersource, an electrical ground, other devices external to the package 2,and so forth. In cases in which a motherboard or PCB is used, themotherboard/PCB may include pin receivers, such as an array ofcylindrical cavities, each pin receiver designed to receive one pin 38and thereby electrically and mechanically couple thereto. Themotherboard/PCB may further route the pins to other electric devices,power sources, electrical ground, other die 4, and so forth. Inimplementations one or more packages 2 may be coupled to a singlemotherboard/PCB and the multiple packages 2 may or may not beelectrically interconnected through the motherboard/PCB.

The elastic couplers 36 are fixedly attached to the housing 24. This maybe accomplished in a variety of ways. In the implementations illustratedin the drawings, the elastic couplers 36 have been integrated into a top26 of the housing 24 by placing the elastic couplers 36 and housing 24in the configuration shown while the housing 24 is in a liquid state andthen allowing or causing the housing 24 to solidify. For example thismay be done through a melting process, or a resin may be used which maybe cured to form a solid phase, and so forth. In other implementationsthe same structure shown in FIGS. 3-4 may be accomplished by forming thehousing 24 with portions configured to receive the pins 38 and thengluing, welding, or otherwise adhering the pins 38 to the portions ofthe housing 24 configured to receive them. In other implementations thehousing 24 may have female threads and the pins 38 may have male threadsand the two may be joined by coupling the threads together. Othercoupling mechanisms may be used. In general the pins 38, at a point inthe fabrication of the package 2 prior to coupling the pins with theconnection traces 14, are fixedly coupled to the housing 24 and,therefore, generally not free to move relative to the housing 24 whilethe housing 24 is being lowered towards the substrate 6 to couplethereto.

The housing 24 includes a cavity 28 configured to receive the die 4 andother elements therein. The cavity at least partially encloses the diewithin the cavity. In the implementation shown in FIGS. 3-4 the housingincludes a ledge 30 which rests atop the substrate 6, and which may beadhered thereto such as using an adhesive, though the ledge 30 may alsojust rest atop the substrate 6 without any adhesive and the substrate 6may have one or more other coupling mechanisms such as screw holes sothat the housing 24 may be coupled thereto by inserting screws into theopenings 32 of housing 24 and screwing screws into screw holes of thesubstrate 6. Other coupling mechanisms such as clips, a friction fit,and the like are possible. In implementations an area proximate theledge 30 and or including the ledge 30 (particularly the bottom face ofthe ledge 30), the vertical inner portion of the housing 24 below theledge 30 and/or the portion of the substrate 6 that contacts these areasof the housing 24 may be roughened prior to coupling the housing andsubstrate together, such as with the use of an abrasive, in order toensure a better bond when an adhesive is applied therebetween. Inimplementations in which a friction fit is used a similar rougheningoperation may be done in order to form a better or stronger fittherebetween, or in other words a fit having greater friction. In someimplementations this roughening may be done with physical abrasion suchas through sanding or blasting with a fluid having a grit elementtherein. In other implementations the roughening may be done throughchemical means such as through an etching process or the like, thoughother mechanisms may also be used for roughening these surfaces. Inother implementations, coupling structures may be included in thelocation of the housing 24 proximate the ledge 30 or including the ledge30 to aid in establishing a friction fit, including, by non-limitingexample projections, flanges, pin-like structures, bumps, and otherstructures that can couple against the edge of the substrate 6.

The elastic couplers 36 are pins 38 configured to electrically couplewith the die 4 through the connection traces 14 and to electricallycouple with a motherboard, PCB or other element external to package 2.Pin 38 has an upper portion 40, which includes a rigid portion 42, and areversibly elastically deformable lower portion (lower portion) (elasticportion) 44. In some implementations all of the elastic portion 44 isreversibly elastically deformable, while in other implementations only aportion of the elastic portion 44 is reversibly elastically deformable.Referring to FIGS. 3-4, for instance, elastic portion 44 includes aspring 46 and a rigid portion 50. The rigid portion 50 forms a base 54of the pin 38 and includes a flat plate 56 having a contact surface 58on its underside configured to electrically couple with a connectiontrace 14. Thus, in the implementation of FIGS. 3-4 a lower end 52 of thepin 38 is a rigid portion 50, so that the elastic portion 44 includesboth a spring 46 and a rigid portion 50. Thus, the elastic portion 44 inthe implementations of FIGS. 3-4 has a portion which is reversiblyelastically deformable and another portion which is not. Those portionsthat are not reversibly elastically deformable may be plasticallydeformable and/or non-reversibly elastically deformable.

In other implementations all of the elastic portion 44 could bereversibly elastically deformable. For example, in some cases the rigidportion 50 could be omitted entirely, so that the elastic portion 44only includes spring 46. In such cases, the lower end 52 of the pin 38would be the bottom of the spring 46, not the bottom of the flat plate56, since the flat plate 56 would be excluded. In variousimplementations, the spring is a coil spring, such as a helical coilspring 48.

The elastic section 44 in implementations is formed entirely in: thebottom half; the bottom third; the bottom fourth; the bottom fifth; thebottom sixth; the bottom seventh; the bottom eighth; the bottom ninth;the bottom tenth; the bottom eleventh; the bottom twelfth; the bottomthirteenth; the bottom fourteenth; the bottom fifteenth; the bottomsixteenth; and so forth, of the pin 38. In implementations the pin 38may have a longest length 60 of, or of about, 14 mm, and the spring 46may have a length, measured along the same direction of the longestlength 60, of, or of about, 1 mm. The spring 46 may be configured tocompress from a length of, or of about, 1 mm to a length of, or ofabout: 0.9 mm; 0.8 mm; 0.7 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.3 mm; and soforth. Accordingly, spring material and spring constants for the spring46 may be selected according to the desired compression characteristics.In implementations of springs herein the spring may have a length,parallel with a longest length of the pin, of greater than 1 mm.

In implementations the spring 46 is formed of, by non-limiting example:a high carbon spring steel; a stainless steel, a steel alloy having oneor more of chromium, vanadium, nickel, molybdenum, and/or aluminum; abronze alloy; an alloy of beryllium and copper; an alloy of nickel andcopper; an alloy of iron, chromium and nickel; and the like. Althoughthe springs 46 shown in the drawings have a straight cylindrical profile(i.e., the coils are of the same diameter), in other implementations thesprings may have a conical profile with decreasing coil diameters (goingin either direction) such that the individual coils are not forcedagainst one another, or not as much, in compression, thus allowinggreater overall compression of the spring 46. Other configurations arepossible using the principles disclosed in this document. The spring 46may be coupled to the rigid portions using, by non-limiting example: asolder; a conductive adhesive; a weld; and the like. In variousimplementations, the entirety of each pin, including the rigidportion(s) and the spring, could be integrally formed from a singlepiece of material so that the spring is integrally attached to the rigidportion(s). In particular implementations, the relaxed, non-compressedlength of the spring in a direction parallel with longest length 60 isone of: less than half, less than a third, less than a fourth, less thana fifth, less than a sixth, less than a seventh, less than an eighth,less than a ninth, less than a tenth, less than an eleventh, less than atwelfth, less than a thirteenth, less than a fourteenth, less than afifteenth, and so forth, the length of longest length 60.

The rigid portion 50, when included, is formed of an electricallyconductive metal. The metal for the rigid portions 42 and 50 may be, bynon-limiting example: copper; a copper alloy; a copper-gold alloy; andthe like or any of the spring material times disclosed herein.

In implementations the spring could be a type of compression springother than a coil spring such as, by non-limiting example: a flatspring; a machined spring (which may or may not include the rigidportions of the pin); a volute spring; a Belleville spring; and thelike.

The elastic coupler 36 is configured so that, when the housing 24 islowered towards the substrate 6, the lower end 52 of the pin stops at apredetermined point 16 and travels no farther downwards. In this way,the spring of each pin is configured to prevent a contact surface of thepin from lowering beyond the predetermined point relative to thesubstrate when the housing is lowered towards the substrate. Asdescribed herein, the lower end 52 may be the rigid portion 42 or, inimplementations in which rigid portion 42 is excluded, it may be a lowerend of the spring 46. This allows electrical and/or mechanicalcommunication to be formed between each pin and the connection traces bythe act of lowering the housing onto the substrate. Accordingly, invarious implementations of packages using the pins described herein, thepins may be coupled with the connection traces without the use ofsolder, conductive adhesive, a press-fit, and so forth. Additionally, asthe coupling of the pins with the connection traces is formed by virtueof the elastic portion 44, the housing 24 could be raised and the pinswould lift off the communication traces without needing to sever thepins or melt solder, or the like, for the removal.

When the spring is compressed, which occurs as the housing is loweredtowards the substrate and the base 54 contacts the substrate, the pinthen biases the lower end or base 54 of the pin towards the substrateand, at the same time, biases an upper portion of the pin (in otherwords, the portion of the pin between the spring and the top of thehousing) towards the top of the housing. The spring, when compressed,also biases the two rigid portions away from one another, and it couldalso be said that the spring, when compressed, biases the lower rigidportion 50 downwards while biasing the upper rigid portion 42 upwards.Each pin, when compressed, is compressed along a direction that isparallel, or substantially parallel, with a longest length 60 of thepin. The act of lowering the housing electrically couples the pin withthe die by contacting the lower end of the pin with a connection traceof the substrate, the connection trace of the substrate beingelectrically coupled with an electrical contact of the die. The housingmay be secured to the substrate, or relative to the substrate, such aswith a friction fit, a glue, screws, a clamping mechanism, and the like,and securing the housing to or with the substrate maintains compressionof the spring. As shown in the drawings, in various implementations thetwo rigid portions are directly coupled together only with the spring.In implementations the pin consists of two rigid portions coupledtogether with a spring. Compressing the spring in variousimplementations includes compressing the spring between the two rigidportions of the pin.

Pins 38 may have various shapes, for instance they may have cylindricalor rounded shapes when viewed perpendicular to the longest length 60, orthey may have rectangular or square shapes when viewed from thatdirection. In various implementations each pin 38 may have a smallestdiameter, taken perpendicular to a longest length 60 of the pin, of, orof about, 0.64 mm. In implementations in which the pin 38 has arectangular shape where it exits the top 26, the pin 38 may have a crosssection taken perpendicular to the longest length 60 having arectangular shape with a first side ranging between 1.12 mm and 1.18 mmand a second side ranging between 0.77 mm and 0.83 mm. In otherimplementations the rectangular shape may have a first side of 1.15 mmand a second side of 1.8 mm. In various implementations the packagesshown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 9 may each have a rectangular footprint having afirst side of, or of about, 66 mm and another side of, or of about, 32.5mm. In particular implementations the packages may each have arectangular footprint having a first side ranging between 107 mm to 108mm and a second side ranging between 44.5 mm and 45.5 mm. In otherimplementations the packages may each have a rectangular footprinthaving a first side of 107.5 mm and a second side of 45 mm.

The packages 2 shown in the figures do not include a baseplate below thesubstrate 6. In other implementations a baseplate may be used, and insuch implementations the baseplate may couple directly to the substrate6 such as with an adhesive or using screws, or the like, and/or may becoupled directly to the housing 24 and pressed against substrate 6thereby, and so forth. The baseplate may be metallic and may assist inthe extraction of heat away from the die 4. Package 2 may furtherinclude one or more couplers 34 to couple the package 2 to a heatspreader, heat pipes, heat sink, and/or to an electrical ground, and thelike.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 5, 6 and 8, a semiconductor package (package)62 includes a housing 64 having a top 66, the housing forming a cavity68 configured to receive and/or enclose one or more die 4 therein.Package 62 includes a baseplate 78 and a plurality of substrates 6 arecoupled to the baseplate. Baseplate 78 may be formed of a metallicmaterial and may be used to extract heat or assist in extracting heataway from the die 4. The baseplate could be formed of steel, aluminum oran aluminum alloy, copper or a copper alloy, an alloy containingmolybdenum and/or tungsten, and the like. The substrates 6 may becoupled to the baseplate 78 such as with a solder, an adhesive, screws,a friction fit, or the like. Housing 64 includes openings 70 andbaseplate 78 includes corresponding openings 80 for a coupler 72, suchas screw 74, to couple the housing 64 to the baseplate 78. Naturallythis may be reversed and the two removed from one another. Othercoupling mechanisms could be used such as glue, a friction fit, and soforth.

FIGS. 7-8 show examples of assemblies 76 and 116. Assembly 76 includesthe baseplate 78 and substrates 6, along with die 4 and electricalcouplers 20, of FIGS. 5-6. Some of the electrical couplers 20 arecoupled to pads 82 of the die 4, the pads 82 being electrical contactson a face of the die 4. Assembly 116 differs from assembly 76 in thatassembly 116 includes pin receiving members 118. Assembly 116 is aassembly that is used with pins. These pins do not include an elasticportion and, furthermore, with packages that use a baseplate, the pinsin some cases are not coupled directly to the substrate(s) atop thebaseplate for a variety of reasons. By non-limiting example, when abaseplate 78 is used then, as shown in FIG. 7, pin receiving members 118may be placed atop the baseplate and contacts of the pin receivingmembers may be electrically coupled to contacts of elements atop thesubstrate 6 using electrical couplers 20, which in implementations maybe aluminum wires. Later, when the housing is placed atop the assembly116, and when the package is installed, such as using a press-fit methodwith a motherboard or printed circuit board (PCB), or the like, theforces of press-fit installation will push down on the pins but will notpush down directly on the substrate 6 because the pins are positionedover the pin receiving members 118 instead of over the substrate. Thepins will thus press down instead on the baseplate 78. This may reducethe likelihood of damage to the substrate 6 during press-fitinstallation of the package with a motherboard, PCB or the like.

When the elastic couplers 84 are used, however, as shown in FIGS. 2 and5-6, the pin receiving members 118 may not be needed since duringpress-fit installation of the package 62 the pins 86, if they arepressed down, the members 118 do not impart undue pressure onto thesubstrate 6 because of the reversibly elastically deformable lowerportion (elastic portion) (lower portion) 92 which includes spring 94.Thus, package 62 may be formed with the pins 86 landing directly on thesubstrate 6 instead of on pin receiving members 118 of the baseplate 78.Accordingly, pin receiving members 118 may be excluded, and thusassembly 76 may be used instead of assembly 116. In implementations thepackage may be reduced in size because of this, with the baseplate 78and the housing 64 having a smaller area and/or footprint, due to thelack of need to use pin receiving members 118. Package implementationsin which pin receiving members 118 are excluded may also have improvedoperation and/or life by eliminating aluminum wirebonds.

In various implementations however, the same size housing 64 andbaseplate 78 could be used and one or more of the pins 86 are formedwith a horizontal section 112 so that the pins 86, instead of landing onthe baseplate 78, extend inwards to land on the substrate 6. Thus aperimeter defined by a plurality of elastic couplers 84 outside thepackage, such as shown with semiconductor package (package) 120 of FIG.9, may be smaller than a perimeter formed by the same plurality ofelastic couplers 84 within the package. Similarly, referring to FIGS.8-9, the housing 122 may be used with assembly 76, but an outerperimeter defined by the elastic couplers 84, as seen in FIG. 9, may belarger than an outer perimeter formed by a plurality of substrates 6.Additionally some packages, such as package 120, may have pins onlyalong a single rectangular perimeter, while others, as packages 2 and62, may have pins not only along a rectangular perimeter but also withinthe rectangle defined by that perimeter. The cavity of package 120 maybe partially or fully filled with an encapsulant through an opening inthe housing 122 (which in FIG. 9 is rectangular) which is later coveredwith cover 124.

The pins 86 include, along with the horizontal section 112, a firstvertical section 110 and a second vertical section 114. Furthermore, anupper portion 88 of the pin 86 includes a rigid portion 90, and thespring 94 in implementations includes a helical coil spring 96. Thespring 94 couples the rigid portion 90 with rigid portion 98. A lowerend 100 of the pin 86 is defined as a lower end of the rigid portion 98,if rigid portion 98 is included, or the lower end of spring 94 if rigidportion 98 is excluded, similar to pin 38. The rigid portion 98 inimplementations includes a flat plate 104 having a contact surface 106on a base 102 of the flat plate 104. The pin 86 has a longest length 108that is substantially parallel, or parallel, with a direction ofcompression of spring 94.

In various packages wires of aluminum or another metal may be used toelectrically couple one or more connection traces of the substrate withone or more pins of the package. Implementations of semiconductorpackages 2, 62, 120 disclosed herein allow electrical interconnectionbetween the die and pins of the package without the use of wirebonds orwire connections between the substrate and pins. Various packages usesoldering to electrically and mechanically couple pins of the packagewith connection traces of the substrate, and thereafter a housing (suchas a polymer case) is coupled to the substrate and/or a baseplatecoupled to the substrate. The housing has openings for the pins to passthrough as the housing is being lowered towards the substrate and,therefore, the pins are not fixedly coupled to the housing. While thesepackages use an encapsulant (such as silicone potting) to encapsulatethe die, any wirebonds or other electrical couplers, and a portion ofeach pin, the pins are nevertheless not generally fixedly coupled to thehousing itself.

There exist various packages in which a pin is temporarily fixedlycoupled to a housing. For example, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0199861to Mattiuzzo, published Jul. 17, 2014, describes a pin which may belocked in place by turning the pin after it has been soldered to asubstrate and after the housing has been put in place. The pin is thustemporarily fixedly coupled to the housing in that case, but the pincould also be removed by twisting the pin in the opposite direction, andthus the pin is not permanently fixedly coupled to the housing.Additionally, the housing cannot be lifted without twisting the pin toreverse the locking procedure, and the pin is fixedly coupled to thesubstrate with solder, such that the housing could not be liftedrelative to the substrate, without twisting the pin to the openposition, without fracturing the solder connection of the pin with thesubstrate. Thus in that implementation the pin is only temporarilyfixedly coupled to the housing.

In the implementations of packages 2, 62, 120 disclosed herein, the pinsare permanently fixedly coupled to the housing by being at leastpartially encapsulated within the housing during formation of thehousing. Thus, in these implementations the housing, after the pins havebeen at least partially encapsulated therein, is not free to movewithout moving the pins as well. As described herein, however, inimplementations of packages 2, 62, 120, the pins could be onlytemporarily fixedly coupled to the housing, such as with threads, afriction fit, or the like. In implementations in which pins arepartially encased within the housing they are molded so that they areappropriately aligned with connection traces of the substrate in a wayto ensure proper operation of the package 2, 62, 120. In implementationsin which the housing is formed with injection molding, the plasticinjection mold chase may be designed to arrange the pins before plasticinjection.

Each spring as disclosed herein is integrated with one of the pins inthe longitudinal direction. In implementations of packages 2, 62, 120disclosed herein, pressure between the individual pins and the substrateis maintained by virtue of the plastic case being coupled with thesubstrate. The pins as described herein may be configured to bepress-fit pins, such as to be press fit into hollow pin receivers of amotherboard or PCB, or they may be solder pins, configured to besoldered to connection traces or other elements of a motherboard, PCB orthe like. In implementations in which the pins are press fit pins theymay have a press fit portion proximate a distal end (opposite the endclosest to the elastic portion or spring). The press fit portion mayinclude elements such as, by non-limiting example, a compressiblesection that is configured to compress along a direction perpendicularwith the direction of insertion of the pin into a pin receiver, whichcompression may comprise only elastic or may comprise elastic andplastic deformation. The compressible section may include an openingpassing through the pin along a direction perpendicular with a longestlength of the pin, though in implementations the compressible sectionmay include other elements and/or the press fit portion may exclude anopening. A wide variety of other type of press-fit sections and designsmay be utilized and selected by those of ordinary skill in the art usingthe principles disclosed herein.

Although the flat plate 56, 104 shown in the drawings has a width,substantially parallel with a longest length 60, 108 of the pin 38, 86,that is greater than a height of the flat plate 56, 104—the height beingsubstantially parallel with a longest length 60, 108 of the pin 38,86—in other implementations the flat plate 56, 104 could have a heightgreater than its width.

In implementations of packages in which pins are soldered to connectiontraces of the substrate, there can be damage to the substrate, thesolder joint, and/or other elements of the package when the housing islowered towards the substrate and/or when the pins are press-fit intopin receivers of a motherboard or PCB. Pins 38, 86 remove the potentialfor such damage due to the lack of a solder connection between the pinand substrate and due to the elastic portions 44, 92.

In implementations of packages disclosed herein there is no solderingprocess to couple the pins to the substrate, and there is no wirebondconnection between the substrate and the pins. The lack of a solderconnection between the pins and the substrate may eliminate a secondsolder reflow process for the assembly of the package, as a first solderreflow may have occurred when coupling the die to the substrate. Thiscan reduce other problems, such as movement or float of the die duringthe second solder reflow. In implementations the pins 38, 86 mayincrease a contact area, and otherwise improve electrical contact,between the pin and the substrate as compared with these pins. Thehousings disclosed herein may be laser marked, or the like, at any pointin the assembly process.

In places where the description above refers to particularimplementations of semiconductor packages with elastic couplers andrelated methods and implementing components, sub-components, methods andsub-methods, it should be readily apparent that a number ofmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof andthat these implementations, implementing components, sub-components,methods and sub-methods may be applied to other semiconductor packageswith elastic couplers and related methods. For example, characteristics,sizes, and the like of elements and sub-elements of one package, such asa package 2, may be used with a package 62 or 120, and so forth.

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor package, comprising: a housingcoupled to a substrate; one or more pins at least temporarily fixedlycoupled to the housing, the one or more pins comprising a reversiblyelastically deformable lower portion, the reversibly elasticallydeformable lower portion coupled with a lower end of the one or morepins; wherein the reversibly elastically deformable lower portion islocated in the one or more pins between the housing and the substrate.2. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein a base of the one ormore pins is coupled to the substrate with a spring.
 3. Thesemiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the one or more pins is atleast temporarily fixedly coupled in a top of the housing and isconfigured to be coupled with the substrate by lowering the housingtowards the substrate.
 4. The semiconductor package of claim 1, whereinthe reversibly elastically deformable lower portion comprises a spring.5. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the reversiblyelastically deformable lower portion is configured to compress toprevent the lower end of the one or more pins from lowering beyond apredetermined point relative to the lower end of the one or more pinswhen the housing is lowered to be coupled to the substrate.
 6. Thesemiconductor package of claim 1, wherein a semiconductor die is atleast partially enclosed within a cavity of the housing.
 7. Asemiconductor package, comprising: a housing coupled to a substrate; oneor more pins at least temporarily fixedly coupled to the housing, theone or more pins comprising a reversibly elastically deformable lowerportion, the reversibly elastically deformable lower portion coupledwith a lower end of the one or more pins; wherein the reversiblyelastically deformable lower portion is located in the one or more pinsbetween the housing and the substrate; and wherein the reversiblyelastically deformable lower portion is configured to compress when thehousing is coupled over the substrate.
 8. The semiconductor package ofclaim 7, wherein a base of the one or more pins is coupled to thesubstrate with a spring.
 9. The semiconductor package of claim 7,wherein the one or more pins is at least temporarily fixedly coupled ina top of the housing and is configured to be coupled with the substrateby lowering the housing towards the substrate.
 10. The semiconductorpackage of claim 7, wherein the reversibly elastically deformable lowerportion comprises a spring.
 11. The semiconductor package of claim 7,wherein a semiconductor die is at least partially enclosed within acavity of the housing.
 12. A semiconductor package, comprising: ahousing coupled to a substrate; one or more pins at least temporarilyfixedly coupled in a top of the housing, each of the one or more pinselectrically coupled with one of at least one die through a connectiontrace of the substrate, each of the one or more pins comprising a springbetween an upper portion of the one or more pins and a lower portion ofthe one or more pins; wherein the spring of each of the one or more pinsbiases the upper portion of the one or more pins towards the housing;and wherein the spring is located in the one or more pins between thehousing and the substrate.
 13. The semiconductor package of claim 12,wherein the spring comprises a coil spring.
 14. The semiconductorpackage of claim 12, wherein the spring of each of the one or more pinsis compressed along a direction substantially parallel with a longestlength of the one or more pins.
 15. The semiconductor package of claim12, wherein the spring of each of the one or more pins is configured toprevent a contact surface of the one or more pins from lowering beyond apredetermined point relative to the substrate when the housing islowered towards the substrate.
 16. The semiconductor package of claim12, wherein the spring is a helical spring.